Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith Out in Week 5 as Eagles Offense Thins
Philadelphia will play Week 5 without its star back AND its top wideout. Plus a loaded questionable list: Jefferson, Chase, Jeanty and a returning Caleb Williams.
DNP Friday on a hamstring — check Sunday actives before locking him in.
- Barkley hurt his hamstring in last week's loss to the Rams
- DeVonta Smith also out — Eagles lose RB1 and WR1
- Caleb Williams questionable, limited Friday after 2 DNPs
- Jeanty (74 PPR pts, 4 games) DNP Friday, questionable
- Jefferson and Chase both questionable for Week 5
If you rostered a piece of the Eagles offense, Week 5 just got ugly. Philadelphia will be without star running back Saquon Barkley, who pulled up with a hamstring injury during last week's loss to the Rams, and the team is also sidelining top wideout DeVonta Smith. That's the RB1 and WR1 gone in the same week for an offense that's already pressing.
Barkley's absence is the headline, but losing Smith stacks the pain. There's no return timeline attached to the hamstring yet, and hamstrings have a nasty habit of lingering — so this may not be a one-week problem. If you have a handcuff or a secondary Eagles back on your bench, this is the week to find out who's actually getting the touches.
The Rest of the Questionable Board
The bigger drama around the league is at quarterback. Bears signal-caller Caleb Williams is questionable and could return after missing two weeks with his own hamstring issue — he was limited Friday after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday, with Tyson Bagent again on standby. On the healthy side, Washington confirmed Jayden Daniels will play, which is the news Commanders managers wanted.
Two elite receivers headline a long questionable list. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (ankle) was limited all week, and Bengals duo Ja'Marr Chase (concussion) and Tee Higgins (groin/neck) both practiced in full Friday after limited or missed earlier sessions — a trend that usually points toward playing. Monitor those statuses right up to kickoff.
Backfield Watch
Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty is the trickiest call. He's been productive — 74 PPR points over four games this season (2026), including 264 rushing yards and two receiving touchdowns — but his week moved the wrong way: full participant Wednesday, limited Thursday, then a DNP Friday on a hamstring. That's a red-flag progression. The Jets, meanwhile, lose Breece Hall (43 PPR pts in three games this season) and WR Adonai Mitchell, thinning an already modest skill group.
Fantasy bottom line: treat Barkley and Smith as hard OUTs and pivot to streamable replacements now. For Jeanty, don't blindly start him — a DNP Friday on a hamstring means you want to see him active before gametime, so line up a bench RB as insurance. Jefferson, Chase and Higgins all trended toward playing, so hold them and watch the inactives. And if Caleb Williams clears, he's a matchup-dependent stream, not a must-start.
